PLAYLIST: Best of APRIL 2017

April, you spoil us. Look at these releases. We had massive new cuts and genuine AOTY contenders from Kendrick Lamar, Arca and Joey Bada$$ to keep us busy, but it was really snaking, cooler-than-thou indie and alt that stole focus in the end, plugging the glorious gaps between the headline-stealing drops.

Our header stars Pile released their slimy, heart-squeezing fourth effort, A Hairshirt of Purpose, in a tight show of musty Boston realness, while Milk Music and Hovvdy kept things slow, low and sleepy on ‘Pay Me’ and ‘Problem’ respectively.

Elsewhere, Aye Nako cemented their place on the ‘ones to watch’ lists of hipper sites than this with Silver Haze (end to end belter, that one) and Employed To Serve, er, served up some properly nasty riffs on ‘Good For Nothing’. Best of luck rinsing all that out in time for May.